Snow-Fur and the Two Dwarves
by LilactheDryad
Summary: A original fable written on the inspiration of the Grimm's Snow White but with many, many twists. WARNING: Contains baby princes, a hungry bear and by consequence Chinese food as well as a talking meatball and a happy ending for everyone. As in everyone. Please give it a chance!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay boys and girls listen up! This is** _ **my**_ **story and hence copyright. The inspiration for this story is Snow White and the Seven Dwarves but I am not giving the credit for my story to the Brothers Grimm especially since they were really only fairy tale recorders and didn't come up with them on the fly. Also, this story may begin like a traditional fairy tale but it is not, I repeat NOT a traditional fairy tale. Things will get wacky in ways you could only dream of so don't get surprised if you come across Chinese Racoons, rabbit butlers or taking meatballs. Seriously. And now without further ado, I give you**

 _ **Snow-Fur and the Two Dwarves**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 _ **The Fairest of Them All**_

 **O** nce upon a time, in a great kingdom, the king (who was a cat), had a beautiful daughter, whose name was Snow-Fur, for her fur was as pure a white as the driven snow and the palest pink nose. Unfortunately, the Queen passed away when she was but six months old, so the King married a black rabbit; the new Queen was beautiful but jealous of anyone whose beauty surpassed her own. She had a wonderful lamp, and when she looked into it she and said-

"Lamp of the Mystical Realm, shine your light on me,

Who in this land has the greatest beauty?"

The Lamp would respond-

"O Mistress of the Dark, I cannot lie

You are the most fair to anyone's eyes."

And the Queen was satisfied, for she knew the Lamp spoke the truth. But Snow-fur was growing up, and when she was a year old, she was as beautiful as spring and more beautiful than her stepmother. Soon after, when the Queen asked the magic Lamp-

"Lamp of the Mystical Realm, shine your light on me,

Who in this land has the greatest beauty?"

The Lamp gave a different response-

"O Queen, your beauty is known far and wide,

For Your Majesty can attest that I have never lied

But I bring a new development

One you will very likely hate

I dread very much to say the truth

For you might try to change your fate.

But I know I can no longer delay for sure

The fairest maiden in this land is now, Snow-Fur."

The Queen was shocked and her fur turned white with envy. From that day on, the Queen hated Snow-Fur. One day when she couldn't stand it anymore, she went to the tame bears and told their leader to bring Snow-Fur out near the woods and tear her to bits and to bring back her eyes and heart as proof that the princess was dead.

The bear brought Snow-Fur out to the edge of the woods; he was going to tear her apart when he found he could not, too beautiful and innocent was she. He told Snow-Fur to run away and never return for the Queen wanted her dead; the terrified princess ran further into the woods and the bear gave the evil witch the eyes and heart of a dead deer, which she ate, even though she was a rabbit.

 **A/N: Tada! Please reveiw! I've been working on this story for years now and my siblings have always bugged to publish it so this was a compromise.**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** **Hello! I did not not expect to be able to update this soon but as the opportunity as shown itself I will not be the one to take advantage of it. I am sorry that my last update went wacky-no idea why that happened. Anyway, here it is, the second chapter of my first story:**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

 _ **The Cave-House and the Two Dwarves**_

Snow-Fur ran and ran and ran; she tried to get shelter in hollow trees and burrows, but they were all inhabited. At length, she lay down in the middle of the woods, hoping to get some rest, but just as she closed her eyes…

 **KA-BOOM!**

There was a flash of light in the evening sky. The buckets of rain began to fall on the little princess.

" **ME-OOOOW!"** she cried. She scampered up a tree to keep somewhat dry. A moment later, a lamb came up and said,

"Hello, there! If you're looking for shelter go over to that path, miss."

"Thank you," said Snow-Fur; she came down the tree and ran down the path, for everyone knows cats hate water. Soon enough, Snow-Fur came across a cave with a window and a door!

Snow-Fur went up to the door and stood on her hind-legs and used the shiny knocker. No one answered. She tried the door and soon discovered it was unlocked. Inside, it was fairly neat, but very dusty. There was a little table and on it there were two plates with meat and veggies and two cups of milk. Now young Snow-Fur was very hungry so she ate a little meat from each plate and some milk from each cup. Then she went around the cave dusting with her tail, noticing the two little beds opposite the dining room, the living room had: the small table in the center, a wooden rocking chair, an armchair, and a small couch. The kitchen had an icebox and some cupboards. When the dusting was done, Snow-Fur laid down on one of the beds and fell fast asleep.

It so happened that the cave-house belonged to two little creatures - a rabbit and a dwarf bear. When they returned to their house after digging for gold, they were surprised that the house was not as they had left it.

"Where did all the dust go?"

"Who has been drinking my milk?"

"Hey! _Where is my meat_?"

Then they noticed the beautiful princess asleep, and were awed at her comeliness, but when they saw signs of her getting up, they were frightened; she _was_ a cat and might eat them. They hid in the blankets of the other bed and peeped out and saw Snow-Fur get out of the covers. She realized she was not alone, got scared, and jumped back.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't know someone lived here, but you see, I have nowhere else to go; I was thrown out of my home because of my wicked step-mother. If you let me stay, I will cook and clean and keep-cave-for you."

The rabbit, Hopper, felt bad for the young cat and told the bear to get out and tell the princess she could stay.

"What! If you are so confident that she is not going to pounce on me, why don't you do it?"

"Because I can't do anything to protect myself, that's why."

"Yeah, but, you're…well…faster?"

"Fine," said Hopper and he came out of hiding. "Okay, well, I believe your story, but how do we know you won't eat us?"

"Eat you?" Snow-Fur giggled. "I don't kill anything myself…I really do not know how."

"Oh," Hopper said, "What's your name? Where are you from?"

"My name is Snow-Fur. I am the princess of….the forest; I live in the castle just north of here."

"Well, I never!" exclaimed Hopper. "Brown Sugar, come out and greet our guest; she is the Princess!"

"Why didn't you say so earlier, I would have come out sooner to greet you," assured Brown Sugar, trying to sound valiant.

Brown Sugar rolled out of the bed and went before the princess and then he and Hopper bowed, "Hopper [and] Brown Sugar at your service!"

"Does that mean you will let me stay here with you? I meant it when I said I will keep your home clean; I love to dust."

"Of course!" Snow-Fur's new friends gently took her by the paw and showed her around her new home.

 **A/N: Don't you just love Brown Sugar? He's probably just going to end up being a slightly more mature Winnie-the-Pooh but oh well.**


	3. 3 the Peddler Dog

_**Chapter 3**_

 _ **The Peddler Dog**_

So it was that Princess Snow-Fur came to live with Hopper and Brown Sugar. Unfortunately, it was not long after that her stepmother consulted her magic lamp and discovered the bear's deception and where the young princess was living. Furious and determined to get rid of her, the Queen disguised herself as a peddler dog, using witchcraft, and went to the cave where the two dwarves dwelt. The dwarves were leaving the next morning when they reminded Snow-Fur to only answer the door for them and they would be sure to call out her name. She promised and then locked the door behind her and went about dusting the cave as she said she would.

Soon there was a knock at the door. Snow-Fur thought, ' _That can't be the dwarves. Maybe they forgot something_.' She went to the window but had trouble seeing who it was; then she heard a voice-

"Hello, is anyone home? I have some things to sell."

Forgetting her promise to her friends, Snow-Fur opened the door and saw a small dog. "Who are you?"

"I'm a peddler dog!" explained the sales animal.

"A peddler dog in an Easter Bunny suit?!"

"Uh, yes, it is good for, uh, business." (The Queen had only meant to turn into a dog, but used the wrong spell.)

' _Well, what do I know about peddlers,'_ thought Snow-Fur. "What do you have to sell? Oh, wait! Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, I would, thank you very much!"

Just then, a flea bit Snow-Fur around the neck and she started to scratch it when the peddler dog said, "Would you like some flea collars? I have a wide variety."

"Yes, I do seem to need one! Do you have any that _don't_ smell funny? Do have them in pink? How much are they?" Snow-Fur had never purchased anything before, having been raised in a castle and couldn't contain her excitement.

"I'll give them to you for a few coins. Would you like me to put it on for you?" The dog held up a pink flea collar with a lovely scent; the only odd thing about it was that it seemed to have too many holes in it, but Snow-Fur didn't notice.

The dog put on the flea collar on the very last hole. Snow-Fur started gasping for air and reaching for her neck. " _It's…too…tight!"_

Then Snow-Fur collapsed onto the floor. The wicked Queen thinking she was dead, went back to the castle laughing.

Luckily, the dwarves had forgotten their lunch. When Hopper and Brown Sugar came to the door, they rang the doorbell and called out for Snow-Fur, but there was no answer. Hopper pulled out his key and opened the door; Brown Sugar discovered their housekeeper lying on the floor, motionless.

"Yikes, Hopper! Quick, get some cold milk and hurry!"

"Hey, wait! Look she's wearing a flea collar with a bunch of holes! And it's on the last one!"

Brown sugar quickly took off the collar, and Hopper threw cold milk on Snow-Fur. After a few moments, Snow-Fur finally opened her eyes and started getting herself up off the floor (she had only fainted) and said, "What happened? Where did she go?"

"Where'd who go?" the dwarves asked quizzically.

"The peddler dog."

"Peddler dog?!"

"Yes, she was in an Easter Bunny suit."

"A peddler dog in an Easter Bunny suit?!"

"Yeah, I thought it was weird, too. Have you seen her?"

Hopper blinked a couple of times and then he said, "Snow-Fur, I think that peddler dog was a fake! I am certain it was the wicked Queen!"

 **A/N: *Gasp***

 **Please review!**


	4. 4 China Hall

_**Chapter 4**_

 _ **China Hall**_

Needs a transition to this part. Seems like a sudden jump from previous chapter.

"What!" Snow-Fur gasped.

"Look, let's have some food. We'll call China Hall." Brown Sugar brought the menu. "What do you want, Princess?"

After looking over the menu, Snow-Fur said, hesitantly, "I'll have Pork with Garlic Sauce and some Dr. China."

"Vegetable Delight and Spirit (forest soda)," replied Hopper, a little perturbed.

"And I'll have Crispy Duck and the Pupu Platter will be the side…now, do we want to dine in, or out?" Brown Sugar asked, not noticing the rabbit's annoyed expression.

"Brown Sugar, why did we just change the subject to food?"

"Because, Hopper, it's hard to discuss stuff like this on an empty stomach, he said as though it was obvious. Well, I guess we'll eat here… **LILY!** " Brown Sugar had opened the door and called for the lamb that earned money by running errands for them. (The same one that Snow-Fur met during the storm.) A few moments later, Lily came running up the path and asked what it was they wanted.

Handing Lily the list and some gold coins, Brown Sugar instructed her: "Please go to Raccoon's China Hall and bring back our order."

Away went the helpful lamb to the restaurant.

"Now, all we have to do is sit here and wait, and I don't want to hear anything until the food arrives," insisted Brown Sugar.

"But…," interjected Hopper.

"Nope, not a word."

So they sat still and quiet for a while. A few minutes later, (though it seemed like hours), Lily arrived back with their food.

"Oh, boy! The food's here!" Brown Sugar enthusiastically took the food from Lily, paid her for her service and began distributing the entrees. "Snow-Fur, you ordered the Pork with Garlic Sauce and some Dr. China…Hopper, you get the Vegetable Delight and some Spirit… and here is my Crispy Duck; is the Pupu Platter here? Yes, yes, it is."

Then they dug into their food and for some time, little was said, except: "Hmm, this is awesome," and "I know, right? I could eat this every day," and "Oh, gosh, I have to have some more!"

After they had their fill of food and drink, they cleaned up, sat down in their tiny living room and chatted about unimportant things (the delicious food having chased away all thoughts of the wicked queen from their mind). When it got dark, the dwarves and Snow-Fur went to sleep in the beds; Hopper and Brown Sugar slept in one bed and Snow-Fur slept in the other.

That night, they all had strange dreams: Hopper dreamed that Snow-Fur asked for some milk, but when he poured the milk, its color became sickly green. The princess didn't seem to notice the poisoned milk and Hopper was unable to say anything; he tried to knock the cup from her paws, but he was too late!

Brown Sugar dreamed that they ordered again from China Hall, and smiled in his sleep, until, (in his dream) he offered some of his Crispy Duck to Snow-Fur but when she took a bite of it, she died!

Snow-Fur dreamed she had left the cave to run errands,and upon her return, she saw Hopper and Brown Sugar being eaten by bears while the black rabbit stood there watching; when they were done with her friends, the bears turned on Snow-Fur….


	5. An Attic, A Comb and a Bottle of Shampoo

_**Chapter 5**_

 _ **The Attic, a Comb and a Bottle of Shampoo**_

"Snow-Fur! Snow-Fur!" It was Hopper. "Snow-Fur, wake up! Breakfast is ready."

Snow-Fur was relieved that she had only been dreaming.

After a hearty breakfast of milk, eggs, cinnamon toast and bacon, (Hopper gladly gave his bacon to Snow-Fur), the dwarves got their digging gear and headed toward the door. Hopper reminded Snow-Fur not to open the door to anyone except Lily or them; after she promised them, they left.

When she was done cleaning, Snow-Fur made some more bacon for herself, and then took a catnap. Sometime in the early afternoon, the doorbell rang, and without noticing it wasn't time for the dwarves to be home yet, Snow-Fur ran to the door and pulled it opened. "You're back! Awesome!" Outside the door, neither Lily or the dwarves were standing there. Instead, there was a puppy wearing a tutu, with a droopy tail and a worried expression.

"Hello, miss! Do you know where the Spot's Theater is by any chance?"

After blinking a few times, Snow-Fur said, "No, I don't. I'm new around here."

"Oh!" said the stranger. "Do you have a map of the forest?"

"I am afraid I don't." Snow-Fur didn't have much use for maps in her castle as she had never left.

"Is it alright if I come in to look for a map?"

"I guess so." _What harm could a small puppy be to me?_ thought Snow-Fur.

The puppy introduced herself as 'Speckles' and went in the house, looking under beds, in closets, and behind the cupboards; not appearing to be satisfied with the results, she turned back to Snow-Fur and asked if they had an attic.

"Well, I cannot say. I've only been here a couple of days, but I suppose we could go look."

They went to the living room and Speckles pulled the couch away from the wall which revealed a hidden door; the door opened easily and more to Snow-Fur's surprise than the dog's, there was a flight of stairs that led up to another door. It was locked but the lock was rusty. Speckles took a bobby pin from her bag and picked the lock.

In the attic, there weren't any windows so it took a while to get used to the gloom. When their eyes had adjusted, they saw a lot of dusty books and papers everywhere.

"Oh, look! Here's a map," exclaimed Snow-Fur.

It was a map of the forest and the Spots Theater was on it.

"Oh, thank you, miss!" Taking the map, Speckles and Snow-Fur headed back down into the living room.

"It was nothing, really…thank you for helping me find that attic."

"Well, is there anything I can give you for your kindness? A comb…some shampoo…or maybe…"

"Oh, may I have the comb and shampoo? I haven't been able to wash or comb my fur in a while."

"Of course, miss. Would you prefer fish or bacon- scented shampoo?"

"I'll take the bacon, please."

The puppy pulled out the comb and shampoo and handed it to the cat-princess. "Here you go, miss. I had better leave now. Bye, now!"

"Bye, Speckles." **Bang,** went the front door and Snow-Fur headed straight for her new grooming accessories. She picked up the comb and started with her tail. There were more tangles than usual; she dug the comb deep into her tail to work out the knots…then… **THUMP**!


	6. The Secret Of The Attic

_**A/N**_ _ **hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter which is a personal favorite.**_ _**I was a little disappointed because I have found out the hard way that FanFiction won't allow any type other than Times New Roman and parts of this were written in a really cool font that looked like it was hand written! (You'll know what parts as soon as you see them!) Anyway, I hope you like this chapter as much as I do!**_

 _ **Chapter 6**_

 _ **The Secret of the Attic**_

"Okay, what song shall we sing to lighten our spirits as we go home?"

"I think we should sing _London Bridge is Falling Down_ , Brown Sugar."

" _London Bridge_ it is!" Brown Sugar said cheerily. " _London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair princess…_ Aren't you going to sing with me, Hopper?"

"I think we should hurry back to check on Snow-Fur," said Hopper pensively.

"Right! Come on, let's go, go, go!"

The dwarves ran and ran and hopped all the way to the door of the house. When they got there, they didn't stop to catch their breath even though they were dripping in sweat. Not bothering to try the doorbell to see if Snow-Fur would answer, Hopper hurriedly unlocked the door and ran into the dining room but no one was there; they then ran into the kitchen and found an unconscious Snow-Fur on the floor with an unfamiliar comb in her tail.

Brown Sugar dropped all of his digging gear on the floor with a **CLANG!** He rushed to the icebox while Hopper pulled the comb out of her tail; after he had pulled it out he saw the bottle of shampoo and started reading the ingredients…one of the ingredients was POISON! Hopper picked it up and threw it in the trash. B then Brown Sugar had come with the milk to revive Snow-Fur.

"Brown, look!" Hopper pointed to the bacon-scented shampoo in the trash.

"It's just a bottle of shampoo. What's so special about it?"

"I looked at the ingredients…there's _Feline Flu virus_ in it."

"What would that have done to Snow-Fur?"

"It brings the germs closer than they would normally get. I used to want to be a vet, you I know. You see the cat's fur keeps germs away from its sensitive skin until the cat grooms. And from there it's gotten rid of by an unknown number of ways." By now, Snow-Fur was better and got up from the floor, she felt a little queasy and dizzy but she was awake.

"You guys are back! Oh! Where is the comb I was using?" She had felt for it on her tail and couldn't find it.

"I threw it away. When we came in we found you lying on the floor with the comb stuck in her tail. It was poisonous!"

"It…it… _was?_ " muttered the princess.

"Yes, and so was the shampoo. Who came in this time?" questioned Hopper.

"A puppy in a tutu. I didn't think a puppy would do anything…she said that she needed to find Spots Theater."

"Wait, waait! Hold your carrots! Spots Theater doesn't exist anymore. Snow-Fur, she was a fake!"

"Well, I have a question for you two," Snow-Fur countered. "Why didn't you tell me you had an attic full of books and maps?"

"We have an _attic_?!" the dwarves said in unison.

"You really didn't know about the attic? Seriously?" she said, with no little surprise. "Didn't you build this place?"

"No, we found it…but how did you find the attic?"

"I didn't…the puppy did. She opened something in the wall, I think. Then we went up a flight of stairs." Seeing that her roommates were quite interested, Snow-Fur continued, "Then we came to another door at the top of the stairs and the dog picked the lock. Inside we found really old books, all made by hand; we even saw maps nailed to the wall and some scrolls. Maybe some of those maps might be treasure maps," she said, not really serious.

"Treasure maps?! Show us, Snow-Fur, show us!"

Snow-Fur walked to the sofa and pulled it away from the wall to reveal the first door; Hopper took a lit candle from the kitchen and he and Brown Sugar followed their fair friend up the stairs and through the second, now unlocked door. Finally inside the attic, Snow-Fur pointed to the very dusty books, maps and scrolls. They selected a few books and maps and returned to the living room.

Inspecting the books more closely, they realized that they were journals and stories of pirate adventures. Snow-Fur grabbed one of the journals and began reading; she discovered that one of the pirate ships had landed on a strange island inhabited by very unusual animals. The pirates named the island 'Paradise Island.' They buried their treasure near a canal where the vessel went when it landed on the island. Snow-Fur went back up to the attic and grabbed the rest of the maps; after bringing them down, she searched through them, trying to find the one matching the description; after seven maps, she came across a map depicting a canal that led to the ocean and began in the forest! Looking more closely at the map, Snow-Fur was able to see their cave-house, but there seemed to be newer ink marks on it showing the attic with a hidden flight of stairs leading down from the back wall of the attic; the bottom of these stairs was marked with a large **X** and it seemed that the stairs continued underground. Next to the **X** that Snow-Fur assumed was where a treasure lay, there appeared to be a trap-door in the ground.

The Princess was pensive for a while until she heard someone snoring…It was Brown Sugar.

"Hey, guys, check out what I found!"

"What is it? Did you find anything about a treasure…or the pirates?"

"Both. These are the log books of a pirate called Blackmask-" "Blackmask!" they shouted in unison. "The most notorious racoon pirate ever to raid the Four Seas!"

"Listen to this entry:

 _ **March 17**_

 _We have just raided and sunk a pearl-diving ship. One of our best hauls yet! That's probably what they thought, too, until we showed up-'"_

"Wow! Blackmask was ruthless! He doesn't even have second thoughts about sinking all those ships!"

"Just like all other pirates; selfish, self-loving, dirty, and lacking brains," commented Hopper dryly. "What did they ever think they were going to do with all that gold if they couldn't even get off their own ships to buy anything!"

"Here's an interesting one:

 _ **March 23**_

 _Stowaways! Down in the magazine. A family of chipmunks. Apparently they had come aboard looking for food and food they shall have! If they can stomach what Bobo calls food they shall have all of it. Still haven't found out exactly where he learned to cook._

 _ **March 24**_

 _The eldest chipmunk, (I don't think any of them are adults) a girl , slipped into the kitchen last night and added something to the grease that Bobo calls food. Even from the crack in the door, I could see the look of disgust on her face when she first looked at the pot. Whatever she did to it it made us actually want to eat. We ate till we were full ,_ _ **not**_ _a common event, usually we just eat enough to make sure we don't starve._

 _ **March 25**_

 _We'll keep the girl for a cook and one of the boys for a cabin boy. Hope Bobo won't be too angry I'm replacing him But we won't live much longer if I don't. I suppose I'll set the rest off in one of the lifeboats with some supplies, when we near land. I'll have to do it when the lass is asleep though._

 _ **March 31**_

 _Shame on pirates who don't show bravery like that chipmunk! She saved my life! On the morning after my last entry, the ship caught afire. I slept through the start of it and I woke to find my cabin filled with smoke. I looked out the tiny port window to see both the lifeboats laden with my crew, the stowaways_ _ **AND**_ _my treasure chests, making all speed away from the ship. How had they gotten all of that but failed to alert ME, their Captain, of the fire? And they weren't even waiting for me!_

 _There was a crash as the door was broken down, bringing in more smoke and flames. Someone came through the debris and handed me a wet cloth which I put to my face._

 _My rescuer threw a flaming board at the wall and then another, which easily broke a hole in the burning wall. I was pushed out of the newly made opening and I splashed into the cold sea._

 _I was shocked, at first, from the change from the heat of the flames to the cold of the sea and had to be dragged several feet away from the inferno of a ship before I swam of my own power._

 _It wasn't until the fire reached the magazine and the ship exploded that I realized who my rescuer was; the girl chipmunk! The seawater had washed off much of the grime from the fire and I could see her singed fur and the burns on her face keeping one of her eyes shut, as she helped me board one of the boats which had come back when they realized I was still alive. I collapsed shortly afterwards from smoke inhalation and have only just recovered, but I will be reconsidering many things about my life, due to these happenings._

 _ **April 3**_

 _How could I have been so blind to what I am! Pirates are disgusting, self-loving beasts._

 _Ignorant, too. I will have nothing more to do with them. I still can't believe my own crew set the ship on fire. They had gotten everything in the lifeboats then thrown a brand on the deck. Then Polly, the chipmunk, swam back for me when she saw what they were planning._

 _I will take my share of the treasure and live with my new chipmunk family on the first land we sight._

 _Blackmask is no more. Only Marco remains."_

Snow-Fur was quite exhausted by the time she was done recounting the tale and stopped to catch her breath.

"And that's how all this stuff got here? Wow!" said Brown.

"I guess even pirates can change their ways, uh, Hopper?"

"Yes, I guess they can," he replied thoughtfully.

Already quite late, the three of them decided it would be best to search for the treasure the next day. Though her friends were quite excited about the treasure, Snow-Fur found herself more anxious and sleepless; she couldn't understand how the wicked queen knew about the attic and pondered for several hours into the night until sleep finally conquered her. Early the next morning, Brown and Hopper woke up, ate breakfast and started packing up their gear; Snow-Fur did not wake until they were about to leave. Snow-Fur promised them repeatedly that she would not answer the door to any stranger, especially dogs or puppies! When the dwarves felt confident that their princess finally understood, they left. She then ate her usual bacon meal, cleaned up the kitchen and sat down on the couch to think.

 _ **A/N:**_ _Remember to R &R! Reviews are highly appreciated!_

 _Oh! And_ **GreenSaiyan**? _Turn your PM on. We may be needing it shortly. :(_


	7. Speckle's Tale

_**A/N : And here it is folks, the story behind the tale, the true obstacle, the TRUTH!**_

 _ **I have warned you before, you know. I am VERY dramatic.**_ _**-**_

 _ **Chapter 7**_ _**Speckles' Tale**_ _Here is the story of Speckles, the evil Queen and Snow-Fur's Stepmother:_ _When Ebony was born, she was the tiniest and ugliest of her family. Her thin fur was murky-brown and dotted with slightly darker and uneven spots; her parents named her 'Speckles.' The common bunny's five siblings were quite striking, with their shiny, plush fur, perfectly shaped hind legs and puffy tails, that they were often complemented by the other forest animals._ _Speckles was always treated with kindness by everyone and was, in fact, known for her cleverness; nonetheless, unwilling to accept her own appearance, she searched for ways to become more beautiful, and discovered spell books. She found beauty spells but she was intrigued by the books and read much more than she needed and the evil books corrupted her heart and developed a hatred for her family, for she began to believe that they did not love her. So the confused bunny studied the books of magic diligently. When she felt confident of her devilry, she trapped her unsuspecting siblings in a cage and using her ill-begotten magic, the envious rabbit stole their beauty for herself and became indescribably beautiful. Her dull, thin, brown fur turned a brilliant, silky black; Speckles' appearance was now so striking that it was said to put any unsuspecting onlooker into a trance._ _The witch's parents would have been imprisoned, as well, had it not been for one of Speckles' cousins, Hopper, who warned them to run away and hide, until their wayward daughter had been captured. Hopper tried to find his trapped kin, scouring the woods for days and asking as many animals as he could, but to no avail…_ _Ebony, as the wicked bunny called herself, now wanted to rule the whole forest; she discovered the rundown cave-house and made it her hideout. When she discovered the maps in the attic, she disguised herself as a plain rabbit and got a job as a cook in the castle and poisoned Snow-Fur's mother, the Queen. Ebony ran away from the castle to fulfill her plans, but when she returned to the cave-house, she realized that her cousin, Hopper and his friend, Brown Sugar, now resided there. Instead of trying to rid her hideout of the unwanted guests, she let them be…Why? Because of Hopper's charm that protected him from evil magic. It would be a whole six months later, before Snow-Fur was found in their house…._ _-_

 ** _Please read and review! This is a rather crucial chapter (despite the fact that it is probably shortest) so I'm really nervous about. Make me feel better with reviews. =)_**


	8. The Poisonous Bone

_**A/N Think you guys can guess what happens in this chapter? I can promise it will be the last predictable one! A special thanks to Lord Candycane and Papercastles for reading my story (most likely against their better judgement) and sticking with it so far! And Thank You! Jane Apricity for reviewing, as well as all those who have been reading it since it started!**_

 _ **Chapter 8**_

 _ **The Poisonous Bone**_

Snow-Fur was thinking so long and so hard that she soon fell asleep. It was already noon when she finally woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Not yet fully awake, Snow-Fur got closer to the door and heard a raspy voice:

"Oh, please, let me in. I need a drink and a little to eat."

Forgetting to be cautious, yet again, Snow-Fur open the door to an old dog; she had no teeth, a cane, and a basket with some bones in it. Feeling sorry for the poor mutt, Snow-Fur sat her down at the table and gave her soft bread and warm milk. The dog ate quickly and said nothing until her meal was over.

"Thank you very much, my dear," said the satisfied dog, "here is a tasty bone for you."

Snow-Fur looked longingly at the bone, but realizing she had to stop being so naïve, she said, "Thank you, but I really shouldn't."

"Are you afraid it is poisoned?" The dog replied, rather matter-of-factly.

"Well," started Snow-Fur, "I'm not accusing **you** of poisoning them, but every time someone gives me something, lately, it has been poisoned…"

"Oh, but look. I'll taste it and show you, dearie, it's not poison at all." She rasped.

Having no teeth, the dog licked one of the large bones as if it were a lollipop.

Snow-Fur could no longer resist the tempting bones, and took a bite of the bone that the feeble dog held out to her. The dog then smiled slyly (I think you can all guess that it was, indeed Ebony), for she had made sure to put the poison only in the insides of the bones. Snow-Fur's eyes grew larger and panic swept over her body as she realized that she had been tricked by the Queen; a helpless Snow-Fur lost herself to the darkness and fell to the floor.

As Ebony walked back to the door, laughing, the disguise melted off.

"Now I just need to disable the King. Then I will rule the forest and no one will stand in my way! HAHAHAHAHA!"

She slammed the door with one last look at the Princess, "So long, Snow-Fur. My cousin can't get you out of this one, can he?"

When the dwarves came back with the bags of gold, they dragged the bags inside and called for Snow-Fur. But they were so jumpy and excited at find the gold they didn't notice that she hadn't answered for a while.

Then Hopper said, "I say, how come Snow hasn't come to greet us, yet?"

"Maybe she went to China Hall to get us dinner." Brown licked his lips. "I know I would."

"But you'd think she'd send Lily and besides, China Hall is all you think about."

"No, it's not."

But Hopper was too worried to quarrel with Brown.

"We need to look for Snow-Fur, not fight, okay?"

Hopper and Brown Sugar began searching the house; as Hopper looked into the kitchen, he noticed a partly-eaten bone on the floor. As he got closer, he finally saw Snow-Fur.

She was lying on the floor with eyes closed and her tail wrapped around her. She appeared to be asleep, but when Hopper called her name several times, Snow-Fur would not respond.

He could see nothing on her that would be preventing her from getting up; then looked at the bone again and realized Snow-Fur had been poisoned. Then he started crying for he was very fond of her by now. When Brown came in the kitchen, Hopper informed him of what happened.

The dwarves mourned for two days and two nights and on the third day, they bought a coffin of clear glass and placed the still-beautiful Princess in it, so they could keep watch over her. They could not bear the thought of burying their dear friend in the ground. Hopper had tried to reach the King of his fair daughter's sad state, but was told that he had journeyed into unknown, distant lands in search of Snow-Fur; Hopper feared that His Majesty had really been captured or killed by his ill-intentioned wife.

Hopper and Brown Sugar took turns watching the coffin, which they had placed a very short distance from their house, so that the other forest animals could see their fair Princess. They gave much of their gold away to the poor, reserving a small amount to buy food.

A/N Like I said earlier, this is the last traditional chapter. From now on you will most likely have your socks blown off by my scale of wacky, crazy, insane, and the occasional " _ **WHAT THE - AM I DOGGONE READING WITH MY OWN TO BLEEDING EYES!**_

 **Don't forget to R &R! =)**


	9. Prince Salli-li-foo-foo

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I hope it doesn't scare you off!_

 _ **Chapter 9**_

 _ **Prince Salli-li foo-foo**_

And so, that is how the sorrowful creatures lived for some time, until one day a small, richly decorated carriage pulled up in front of the casket; a person that could only have been described as a human baby, and no taller than three feet, adorned in royal apparel and walking with the certainty of an adult, descended from the carriage and studied the lovely prisoner inside her glass prison for several minutes. The Royal Short Man then walked nobly to Brown Sugar who was slowly munching on a chicken wing, with his eyes cast down by Snow-Fur's feet, taking little notice of the unusual visitor.

"Blaa, boo-ba, bloop?"

Looking up and then quickly back down, Brown Sugar, replied, a bit perplexed: "Sorry, I don't understand, if you'll hold your bottle for a minute or two, I'll get someone who can." He ran inside the cave-house and found Hopper looking at some of the maps from the attic.

"Hopper, what does _Boo-ba, bloop, blaa_ mean?"

"It means: 'Is that there who?'

"Well, that doesn't make any sense!" Brown said, motioning Hopper to go outside with him.

When the chubby-cheeked royal saw the rabbit approaching, he repeated himself: "Blaa, boo-ba bloop?"

"Oh, he is asking who _she_ is," Hopper explained, pointing to Snow-Fur. "Her name is Princess Snow-Fur of the Forest, Your Highness; she was poisoned by her step-mother, Queen Ebony, who also happens to be my kin."

"Bloo bloo, Papoti Salli-Li-Foo-Foo," answered the baby.

Hopper turned to Brown: "He said that he is Prince Salli-Li-Foo-Foo, from Babylon."

"Ba boo doo da si lo fa, mois da di doo."

"He wants to take Snow-Fur to his palace, where she can be better guarded from the Queen, should she decide to take her."

Then Brown Sugar faced the Prince, paused briefly, and very loudly, began to communicate his thoughts: "SORRY, BUT SNOW IS STAYING HERE, PRINCE SALLI-LI-LI-LI-FOO!"

"Boo ba di sosi U fusi mifa!" Prince Salli-Li-Foo-Foo retorted ( much offended as Brown had mispronounced his name ).

"Brown," cautioned Hopper, "he wants you stop disrespecting him or he'll have you boiled in milk." Then he added to the Prince, "If you insist on keeping her in your palace, we humbly request to accompany her as we might stay near her…she is not only our Princess, but our dear friend."

Seeing Hopper was in earnest, the Prince nodded, "Bas woo fifi my-my moofu."

"He said he will allow us to live in his palace if we agree to be Snow's official guards," Hopper explained gently to his reluctant friend.

"Thank you, Your Highness. You are too kind...we accept," Hopper bowed gratefully.

Prince Salli-Li-Foo-Foo motioned to the two guards who stood nearby and they immediately began to lift the glass coffin and put it carefully on top of the carriage. Hopper and Brown grabbed their personal items from the house and before leaving with their new employer, gave the last of their gold to Lily to redistribute among the poor animals in the forest.

After several days journey, they all finally arrived at the Babylon palace. Following the Prince, Hopper and Brown were amazed to see all of the royal servants: there were several lizards, catching all the flies and mosquitoes in the living room, raccoons were cooking in the kitchen, cats were dusting, rabbits were gardening, pigs were working in the Royal Spa, giving mud baths, birds were singing in the Music Room and dogs were serving as Royal Butlers.

The Prince had Snow-Fur transported to a beautiful patio with a walkway; there were many elegant statues of various animals, mostly of kingly rabbits. It was in the center of the palace with a 50-foot ceiling made of clear glass. Hopper and Brown were quite content, though they thought Snow's new home _was_ missing _something._


	10. The Kitchen Cat

_**Chapter 10**_ _**The Kitchen Cat**_ The patio was meant to be used for royal guests, but unbeknownst to anyone else in the palace, there was a lowly peasant who often went there to eat his meager meal in peace; His name was Slippers, and he was a rather majestic-looking young cat of silver fur, and accented with white paws and a white chest. Slippers was often belittled by his fellow servants, not for any wrong on his part, for he was always willing to take up extra chores and never complained. He mostly worked in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and cleaning up after all the meals. Slippers waited until all of the other servants ate, and ended up just eating potato skins and small bones. The only luxury he would allow himself was to eat his meager meal in the enclosed patio. It just happened to be dinnertime for Slippers when he noticed Hopper and Brown Sugar enter the patio with several guards carrying the coffin; not wanting to be seen, but quite curious, he hid himself behind the largest statue. He heard the dwarves talking about Snow-Fur: "This is a lovely place to put her, don't you think, Brown?" said the rabbit to the small bear. "Yeah, she would have loved it here, though I think it needs a lot more flowers. Should we go get some, Hopper?" Hopper nodded and when he and Brown left to go to see the gardener about adding flowers to the patio, Slippers came out of hiding. He cautiously walked up to the coffin, expecting to see a rabbit or bear, and was quite surprised to see someone else entirely; his eyes grew wide as he saw Snow-Fur, and he recognized her… _Slippers used to live in Snow-Fur's castle with his parents, who were servants. His mother, Tiger, (so called because of her stripes) worked in the kitchen, and his father, Boxer, (so called because he had white paws which looked like boxing gloves) was a guard. While they worked, Slippers would explore the castle, and Snow-Fur did, too. They soon met each other and Snow-Fur, not having anyone else to play with, became friends with Slippers_ _ **until**_ _the day that Slippers disappeared. For Slippers' mother often found Ebony making strange mixtures in the kitchen (potions) and asked Boxer to keep an eye on her and he caught her scheming to kill the Queen. Ebony was furious that her plan had been found out, and she sought to kill them, and Slippers. They fled to the forest, planning to send a warning to the King, but Ebony found them and Boxer died protecting his family; Tiger got away with Slippers and left him at Salli-li-foo-foo's kitchen door, then ran to the woods and was never heard of since._ Slippers had never thought of loving Snow-Fur, but as he looked at her, he saw that she was much prettier than before, and he recalled how generous she was, always sharing her toys and food with him, and telling him all her secrets…. _Drats!_ thought Slippers, as he heard Hopper and Brown coming down the Hall. He took one last look at Snow-Fur, then hurried toward the secret tunnel he had discovered behind one of the statues. At night, Slippers snuck back into the room to see Snow-Fur. He peeped into the room to see Brown leaning against one of the statues nearly folded in half, asleep and snoring. _The rabbit isn't here_ , thought Slippers. _They must be taking turns watching Snow-Fur._ Slippers tip-toed into the room and looked at Snow-Fur for a while remembering the better times, when he spied a plate of chicken which had been neglected by Brown Sugar. He took the chicken and had a better meal than he had had for several years. When he had finished the chicken he heard some hopping from the hall. _That rabbit must be coming back!_ Slippers quickly tip-toed out of the room and through the secret tunnel. _**Sorry it took me so long, but, here I am! And my sixth sibling was born last week! Everyone, I'd like you to meet: Emeric Joseph!**_


	11. The Tunnel and the Missing Food

_**A/N : Looks at review board *crickets chirp over Lord Candycane* Thank you for being loyal! I'm not sure why everyone else left me!**_

 _ **Chapter 11**_

 _ **The Tunnel and the Missing Food**_

Hopper hopped down the hall and was nearing the doorway when he heard something; he stopped and listened carefully. It sounded like a large stone being dragged on a marble floor one way and then another; Hopper felt a chill run up his spine as he scampered into the patio.

"Brown! Brown!" Hopper checked the coffin to make Snow-Fur was safe.

"What is it, Hopper? What is it?" Brown Sugar got up hurriedly and ran into a statue of a rabbit and said, "Hey, Hopper, what happened to you? Did Ebony turn you into stone?"

"No, she didn't…I'm right here, sleepy head!"

"I can see you fine, Hopper, but if _she_ didn't turn you into stone, who did?"

"Brown, you're talking to a statue! I'm still flesh and blood! I'm right here!" Hopper was jumping in front of Brown.

"Oh, Hopper! Hi!" Then Brown looked at the rabbit statue, then at his friend, then back at the statue . "You mean I was talking to a statue?"

"Yes, Brown. That's what I was trying to tell you." Hopper was now quite vexed. "Did anyone come in here while I was gone?"

"Nope. At least I don't remember anyone coming in."

"Cause you were asleep!"

"I couldn't help it! That chicken was filling and I don't normally stay up till five in the morning, " Brown said defensively. "That reminds me, I need to finish the chicken, Hopper."

"Finish? It's already been eaten Brown! That means whoever was in here was either an omnivore or a carnivore! I have a hunch that there is a secret passageway that leads in and out of this patio. You check this half of the patio and I will check the other half."

Brown wasn't fully convinced that the statue was still just a statue. _What if Ebony turned Hopper into stone and made a fake Hopper to trick me? Maybe there's a way to change Hopper back._ Brown went around the rabbit statue and prodding it with his paws. When he pushed its round tail, a sound of grinding stone sent a chill up Brown's spine; he turned around and saw a hole in the wall. Just then, Hopper came hopping up.

"What did you do?" Hopper exclaimed.

"Well, I, uh-I, well, I, you know…"

"Spit it out already, Brown!"

"Well, I wasn't really convinced that you were the real Hopper, so I decided to try and change you back, and I pressed the tail and that happened," said Brown, pointing to the exposed tunnel.

"That's the same sound I heard before I came in…so who ever came in here used that tunnel."

"So, I'm guessing we're going to go through that tunnel, aren't we?" inquired Brown.

So they climbed in the tunnel and when they came out the other end, they found they were right next to the kitchen.

"The intruder probably came from the kitchen," Hopper said, thinking out loud.

"And now I know how to get to the kitchen after my shift! Oh, Heaven!" Brown whispered excitedly.

"Wait! Snow-Fur!" cried Hopper, "We left her alone!"

"Do you want to go back and watch her while I look for some chicken-I mean clues?"

"No, you're tired," recalled Hopper, "you need your sleep, Brown."

So Brown Sugar went to bed and Hopper went to the sunroom (carrying a plate of veggies) to watch Snow-Fur.

He sat down against one of the statues-and started nibbling on some lettuce. But he was much more tired than he realized, he was soon fast asleep.

"Hopper, Hopper! Wake up!"

"What, what?"

"Did you eat all of your food last night?"

"No, why?" Hopper answered, half-dazed.

"You don't have any food left, except for the piece of lettuce sticking out of your mouth," Brown pointed out.

"Oh! That means it's probably an omnivore! Okay, scratch that 'probably', it is an omnivore!" exclaimed Hopper.

"Or, it's an herbivore and a carnivore, or it's a carnivore and an omnivore, or it's an herbivore and an omnivore, or it's two omnivores, or it's a really hungry herbivore, or it's a really hungry carnivore, or-"

"I got it, Brown, I got it, Ok?" said Hopper, very much exasperated. "I really doubt it's a 'really hungry herbivore.' Every one we have seen here is happy and well-fed."

"Well, what if a stray is living here, hiding during the day and coming out at night to look for food?"

Hopper groaned. "Brown, we don't have time for crazy theories!"

"I think they are reasonable theories," said Brown in reply. "I mean, this place is huge! There could be dozens of strays in here, Hopper."

"Well, something else you should consider then, is how many servants work here! I think they would notice a stray here and either the strays would be given jobs and therefore food to eat daily or they would be thrown out of the castle." After thinking about it, Hopper concluded, "Most likely the former; the servants here don't seem like heartless people."

"Someone here is heartless or I'd still have my chicken," Hopper raised his eyebrows at Brown, so he added, "And someone was very mean to take your vegetables."

Hopper just rolled his eyes and went to the kitchen to get his breakfast.

Brown sat next to the coffin, his eyes and nose on the lookout for the intruder.

please R&R!


	12. The Head Cook

_**Chapter 12**_

 _ **The Head Cook**_

It was busy in the kitchen that morning; so busy, in fact, that no one seemed interested in bugging Slippers. He still had to peel potatoes, and separate good meat from the bone for picky eaters, but at least no one spilled peas just he would have to pick them up.

Later in the morning, Slippers was putting away some cans and glass jars when he saw a rabbit come into the kitchen and ordered bacon, eggs and veggies. At first, he thought it was a waiter but something about the rabbit made him want to hide. Slippers moved backward quickly as Hopper glanced at him. Slippers recognized him! CRASH! Hopper had turned and left, but Slippers had knocked down some of the jars, and there was glass all over. Slippers winced as he got the broom to clean it up. " Slippers! " He looked up sharply to see a light brown rabbit pointing at him. "Come here, Slippers!" he put the broom down and gingerly stepped over the glass towards the rabbit. " Slippers , do you know where the Hall of Statues is? "

" Yeah , but, but how do you know my name? I don't recognize you."

"Oh! I'm new. I was given the position of head cook. I heard someone call you that when I came. "

" When did you come? "

"Yesterday evening," said the cook, "But here, quick, take this tray to the Hall of Statues." She handed him a tray of eggs and bacon and corn.

So Slippers took the tray and walked down to the Hall of Statues hoping that the bear and the rabbit hadn't seen him before and get him in trouble. But when he entered, Hopper took the tray from him and thanked him. Slippers quickly bowed and departed, thankful to retreat back into the kitchen.

He had not gawked at the conspicuous coffin next to them or at even asked about it.

"He put you on edge, didn't he?" Brown grinned broadly as he watched Hopper eat the bacon that he never ate before.

"Yes, he did, " Hopper said slowly as he worked his way through the slice of bacon.

"Did you notice how skinny he was?"

"Skinny?" Hopper looked up with a panicked face. "Why now that you mention it, he was oddly thin for a royal servant."

Brown, looking triumph, said, "I think he is our thief. He looks as though he hardly eats and would eat just about anything, and most importantly, he didn't seem surprised at all to see the glass coffin with a beautiful princess in it, which means he must have seen it before!"

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. I mean, everyone here in this castle would have heard about Princess Snow-Fur by now, which could explain the waiter's lack of surprise. And perhaps he is new to this job and used to be under a bad master or unemployed until recently which would account for his size."

"But you admit you have a bad feeling about him, right?" insisted Brown.

"No," Hopper fibbed, "I don't."

"Then how come you just finish my plate of bacon?"

"WHAT? Tell me I didn't!" Hopper shrieked, suddenly feeling very queasy.

"You did," Brown grinned as Hopper stared at the empty bacon plate on his lap.

"Does this mean you are not a vegetarian anymore, eh?"

"I cannot say it tasted bad, but please don't ever remind me of what just happened. Now, I suppose we should learn more about this cat, but how?"


	13. A Talk With the Prince

_**Chapter 13**_

 _ **A Talk with the Prince**_

"Why don't we just go to the kitchen and get some information on him?" Brown said (Hopper was amazed that he was actually more worried about this strange cat than his missing bacon).

"I agree, but we should ask the Prince first; after all, this is his castle and I want him to know what has been going on." Hopper was amazed that his friend had not brought up the subject of food.

"OK, Hopper, hop to it. I will sit here with Snow-Fur." Brown sat down, staring lovingly at his enchanted Princess and wondering if the skinny stranger meant her any harm. His grumbling tummy reminded him of the bacon he didn't get to eat and consoled himself with the thought of lunch.

Hopper left and headed toward a fire escape map and soon found Prince Salli-li-Foo-Foo's room. (Soon being twenty minutes, it was, after all, a rather large castle).

Hopper knocked on the large ornately decorated door and said, "Boos baas fi doso fodo, tofu?" _("I request to see the Royal Highness.")_

"Bas teelo papati, Salli-li-Foo-Foo?" _("Who requests to see Prince Salli-li-Foo-Foo?")_

"Hopper, me sove." _("Hopper, I'm a servant.")_

"Con hin." _("Come in.")_

(There is a great deal of Baby talk in this part of the story and it would be very tedious to write it and then translate it all. So, I will simply write the translation, as I am sure most of my readers will not have had the opportunity to study Baby talk.)

Hopper entered the room and found himself looking at a baby guard, looking fierce in his chain mail shirt and a sword, (which was more like a long dagger) and a helmet.

"Come with me." Said the guard. They walked down a long corridor with lanterns on the wall and stopped at a large wooden door with bars. The guard pulled back the bolts and whispered a password through a hole in another set of doors. After what seemed like ages, the doors finally opened and Hopper was ushered in.

"Hello again, Hopper. What is it you need?" said the Prince.

"Well, I would like to ask your permission, Your Highness, to do a couple of things but I'd rather do it in private." He gestured toward the guards that were standing in every corner of the room (and this includes corners made by shelves up against the wall).

The Prince nodded. "I understand." Addressing his guards, he said, "I need to speak alone with the rabbit."

"Yes, Your Majesty, we know." No one moved.

"Please leave the room so I may speak with my servant, alone," the Prince said, a bit impatiently.

"Yes, Sire, we shall be right outside the door if you need us," said the Captain of the Guard, a bit reluctantly.

When all the guards had exited the room, the Prince stood up.

"I don't understand why they won't let me have some privacy!" murmured the vexed royal. "I am sorry, Hopper, what was it you wanted to speak with me about?"

"It seems someone is stealing our food and we found a secret tunnel that we think the thief is using to get in and out of the Hall of Statues at night, but we are not sure who it might be; though Brown does have a suspect."

The Prince laughed, "The bear is a detective! I never would have guessed! Ha Ha Ha!" The Prince was laughing so hard that tears came streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, my," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Yes, his suspect is a cat that works in your kitchen."

"A cat? And why would Detective Brown suspect him?"

"Because he's really skinny and…"

"Skinny? Skinny?" Prince Salli-li-Foo-Foo couldn't contain himself and started laughing again. "He thinks the cat is the intruder because he's skinny?" The Prince was now slapping the sides of his chair and stomping his chubby feet. "And you agree with him?" asked the prince after he managed to stop laughing.

"I have to admit that given all of the facts, it does seem to make sense," said Hopper with a red face. "After all, he didn't seem curious about the glass coffin at all, as if he had seen it before, and yet we had _never_ seen him."

"Okay, so what do you need from me, exactly?"

"I need permission to find out more about this cat and I need Your Majesty to make the Hall of Statues off-limits."

"You have permission." Prince Salli-li-Foo-Foo, now completely serious again, said, "Guards, you can return to your posts."

The guards entered the room and Hopper was escorted back out of the room and into the corridor, then shut the door abruptly in Hopper's face.

"I don't think I would care to have tea with those people," decided Hopper, as he made his way back to Brown to explain his plan.

* * *

Sorry! I know much isn't doesn't done here, or seem to, anyhow. But in a few chapters, it should become clear why I wrote it.


	14. Snow Fur Wakes

_**Chapter 14**_

 _ **Snow-Fur Awakes**_

By mid-afternoon, everything was set. There were guards posted at the Hall of Doors so that no one came in, then Brown Sugar and Hopper went to the kitchen to find out about Slippers.

"May I ask who is in charge of the kitchen?" said Hopper as he and Brown entered.

"I am. My name is Caramel. What can I help you with?"

"We wanted to talk to you about one of your waiters," said Brown.

"What did he look like?" asked the cheerful rabbit

"He was a silver tabby cat with ear tufts and white paws, almost as if he was wearing socks," Brown replied.

"Oh!" exclaimed Caramel, "I believe you must be talking about Slippers. He is not exactly a waiter. We were running behind this morning, so I asked him to deliver some of the breakfast trays."

"So he works in the kitchen?" asked Hopper.

"Yeah, before I came everyone picked on him and he hardly got anything to eat, poor thing."

"Do you know how long Slippers has lived here in the castle?"

"He was left here as a kitten and an elderly cat looked after him but when she passed away, he was left to fend for himself and got picked on; Slippers was forced to do the worst jobs in the kitchen. I just started working here, I've the others to leave him alone, but he still has the lowest position. I haven't gotten a chance to give him a better job; Slippers, I have to say, is a very kind-hearted cat; he never complains about the work and never says anything against his bullies, so I've heard."

Slippers had been given a break so he decided to see Snow-Fur. When he got in the room, (he had gone through the tunnel) he lifted the lid and stroked her behind the ears, then he rubbed his head up against hers.

"Where is Slippers now?"

"He worked straight through the night and this morning, so I said he could have a break before getting dinner started…Why?" asked Caramel, a bit confused.

"We have had our food eaten while we slept and our suspect is using a secret tunnel that starts outside this kitchen."

"But why suspect Slippers?"

"He obviously isn't eating enough and he wasn't surprise at all, to see a cat princess in a glass coffin."

Slippers kept bringing his head closer to Snow-Fur wondering if he should do it or not. Finally he built up his courage and kissed her. He turned his head, and was wondering whether he should leave when he heard something. He turned his head and saw the now-awake Snow-Fur looking right at him!

* * *

 ** _Sorry its so short! R &R!_**


	15. Caught!

_Hello! managed to get my hands on a computer and update, finally!_

 _oh! fun fact, for those of you who have not noticed my genius in this regard: 'Ebony', in this context is a play on words, as it sounds like, 'a bunny'. And, yes, I did it in purpose._

 _Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of utter nonsense!_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15**_

 _ **Caught!**_

"A cat princess in a glass coffin!"

"Shhh! Please be quiet!" Hopper looked nervously around him and could see all eyes were on him.

"Since when has there been a cat princess here?" Caramel whispered.

"For about two days."

"Whatever, I don't suppose I could see the Princess?" pleaded Caramel.

"Sure, why not?" replied Brown, gesturing to Hopper.

"Let's go, I don't like leaving Snow-Fur alone," replied Hopper as he led the way back to the Hall of Statues.

"Hey, why are we going this way?" asked Caramel, puzzled.

"We are taking the secret tunnel, obviously," said Brown, half-smiling.

* * *

Slippers jumped back from the coffin, "Ahh! You're a Zombie! I just kissed a zombie! Gross!"

"Who are you?" Snow-Fur asked, equally startled.

"Hey, what's going on in here? This area is off-limits!" said a deep voice.

Snow-Fur and Slippers wheeled around to see a tall, big (not fat) German Shepherd, who was one of the guards that were posted outside of the Hall of Doors. He had heard Slippers screaming and had come to investigate.

"How did you two get in here?"

"I don't _know_ how _I_ got in here!" cried Snow-Fur. "I just woke up and I was here!"

"Yeah, I'll bet," The dog said sarcastically. 'You had better come with me. Cherrypie! " He grabbed their fore-paws and started walking down the Hall.

"Yes, Rascal?" A German Shepherd puppy came running up to greet them.

Snow-Fur gasped as she observed the two dogs, causing her memories of the wicked queen's attacks to assault her thoughts. " You're not working for Ebony, are you? Let me go! You're not taking me anywhere!" She started kicking and scratching Rascal with her free limbs. " Help! Help!"

"Well how do I know that this tunnel isn't a trick? I'd rather take the normal entrance."

"Okay, this way," Hopper said as he started for the 'normal' entrance.

"Wait, listen. I hear something. It sounds very familiar, too," said Brown.

So everyone stopped, and listened. Sure enough, they heard someone screaming:

"Help! HELP! HEL-"

"Who's that?" said Caramel.

Hopper and Brown looked at each other and said, "Snow-Fur!" Then off toward the Hall of Doors.

"Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

"Stop that!" yelled Rascal, but Snow-Fur wouldn't stop, so he clamped one of his paws over the Princess' mouth, and held a squirming Slippers in his other, while Cherrypie tied him up and tied a cloth around his mouth, too.

Then Cherrypie held Snow-Fur while Rascal tied her down, complete with a gag. Then he went to get a first aid kit, to help with all the scratches and bitten paw (the one he used to cover her mouth). Cherrypie stayed behind to keep an eye on their captives.

When Rascal came back he was covered with at least ten bandages, "She is one feisty cat, eh Rascal?" Cherrypie giggled.

"Very funny," he said sarcastically. "Do you think we could get a real story out of them before we call the rabbit?"

"Maybe the boy cat, but I don't think it would be very smart to take of the gag on the girl." Cherrypie snickered again.

"All right," said Rascal, addressing Slippers. "If we take off the gag will promise to talk and tell us what is going on?"

Slippers nodded his head vigorously. Rascal carefully removed the gag and said sternly, "Well?"

But just before he could start, Hopper and Brown ran in. "Wh-wh-where-is-she?" they asked, out of breath.

"Where's who?" asked Rascal.

Answering the guard dog, Hopper and Brown ran to Snow-Fur and exclaimed, "Snow-Fur!" Hopper immediately began untying her and Brown Sugar was about to leave to call for help, when he stopped suddenly.

"Why is Snow-Fur tied up?" the bewildered bear asked.

"Well, we-uh caught her in here with this other cat," said Rascal, starting to wonder if he had acted hastily.

"Slippers? What are you doing here?"

Everyone turned to see the speaker. It was Caramel.

"I am sorry, Caramel," said Slippers, his face growing beet-red, as Caramel untied him. "I came to see Snow-Fur. I used to know her before I came here. We were friends. " He turned to Hopper and Brown who were tugging at a tough knot. "I must confess also that I was the one who was eating your food while you slept. I am very sorry, I was just really hungry."

"So _**that's**_ who you are!" Snow-Fur exclaimed. "I thought you looked familiar! Boy! did I miss you, Slippers. It was pretty dull without you at the castle! But how did you get here, and how did _**I**_ get here?"

Brown and Hopper had finally finished untying their friend. Snow-Fur stood up and said, "Could anyone here tell me what's going on?"

Everyone looked at Snow-Fur, then at Hopper, expecting him to explain.

Hopper sighed, "If you want the whole story, someone is going to have to bring lunch, because it's a _long_ story."

"On it!" said Brown and he was gone in a flash.

Hopper called "Wait, WAIT! Brown, I didn't really-"

"Too late, Hopper," said Snow-Fur smiling at her friend's predictable response. "Might as well start the story."

So Hopper began to recall everything that had happened since they came home and found Snow-Fur lying unconscious.

Soon though, Brown came in followed by two servants carrying many trays, (and Brown had a big bowl of buttery popcorn). All the food was placed in front of them so they could eat while listening to the fascinating tale. Everyone was hungry and decided that it wasn't that bad that Brown had taken what Hopper had said literally.

When Hopper had finished the story, Snow-Fur grabbed a pawful of popcorn and said, "Well…."

"One question still remains!" interrupted Brown Sugar. "Why exactly are they babies?"

"SHHH!"

"What!" said Snow-Fur and Brown cried in unison.

"It's disrespectful to talk about them like that! They're not really babies!" whispered Cherrypie.

"Who are babies?" asked Slippers.

"Prince Salli-li-Foo-Foo and his personal guards. Didn't I mention that already?" inquired Hopper.

"Probably. I guess I didn't catch that part 'cause I was too busy eating. By the way, what was that weird yellow and white stuff? It was soft on the outside and hard on the inside"

"Popcorn?"

"Yeah! That stuff was _de-licious_!"

"Can we get to the point, please?" said Snow-Fur impatiently.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Well, no one is exactly sure as to what happened. A lot us are pretty new here, except for Slippers. But there are a lot of rumors," Rascal added thoughtfully.

"Like what?" asked Snow-Fur.

"Well, one is that there was a young wizard who used to entertain the Prince and that one of his magic spells went wrong; he enchanted His Majesty and everyone in the wizard's presence and they were doomed to be babies, and all their children would be babies, and their children's children and _their_ -"

"If you really want this to be a spooky campfire story, Cherrypie, then you need: a campfire, we need to be outside, in the dark-"

"And most importantly you need marshmallows!" said Brown with a twinkle in his eye.

"Brown, _please_ stop talking about food!' pleaded Snow-Fur.

"Okay, are there any other possible explanations?"

"What are marshmallows?" asked Slippers.

" _You don't know what marshmallows are_!?" cried Brown Sugar appalled. "Their white sweet gooey round things that you put on a stick and-"

"Brown! _**Please**_ stop talking about food!" pleaded Snow-Fur.

"Okay, I'll stop talking about food."

"Are there any other rumors?"

"Lots. But…there is one tale that doesn't blame anyone in particular," said Cherrypie with an eerie expression, "you see, one night, very much like tonight-"

"Stop with the spooky campfire manner! For crying out loud, it's only twelve in the afternoon, Cherrypie!" begged Rascal.

"Okay, okay, just stop interrupting me! Anyway, one night a stranger came asking for shelter for the night. It was a rabbit, a rather plain looking one, with spots all over her. She was given food and a room to stay in, but when a servant went to check on her the next morning, she was gone. A few days later, the Prince and his personal bodyguards were babies… _ **Human**_ babies."

Rascal then picked up the tale, "They managed to let the servants know who they were before they were thrown out of the castle. Their speech had been changed so they could only speak Baby so it was quite difficult to communicate, but in the end, no one seemed to have any idea what caused their transformation."

"What if it was that rabbit?" asked Slippers.

"That's what we thought at first, but it happened almost a week after she disappeared," said Rascal with a shrug.

"You seem to know something we don't, Hopper," said Snow-Fur.

Hopper had been quiet for a while and had a thoughtful look on his face. "You're wrong, my friend (addressing Rascal). That rabbit is the cause. That was my evil cousin, Ebony. She used the Prince and his guards as test subjects for her magic skills. I don't know how she did it exactly, but it _was_ her!"

Hopper's audience moved in a little closer and he continued, "I often spied on her and discovered she was studying magic, so I decided to study it, too." Here he paused momentarily. "Well, I didn't really learn how to cast spells, but how to protect myself from magic and also learned about magic's weak points."

No one in the room looked satisfied, so Hopper went on, "Magic, even if done with good intentions, will corrupt the person's heart, because its source is evil. I also learned that when a strong spell is broken, weaker ones will break of their own accord. I'm quite sure that the transformation spell on the Prince will lift."

"But Hopper…," began Snow-Fur.

"Yes?"

"Well, what _did_ break the spell on me?" she asked.

"True Love's Kiss. It works for just about anything really. A universal cure," mused Hopper.

"Then _who_ kissed me?" Snow-Fur looked about the room.

"Whoever it was will show themselves when the time is right, Snow-Fur," assured Hopper. "What we need to focus on right now, is freeing the forest from Ebony's grip! We need to find my cousins and the King! And Princess Snow-Fur and her beau can return to her kingdom!"

* * *

Ta-da! A relatively long chapter. Although it is extremely disheartening that those who followed this story at its beginning have left me, hope has visited me in the form of two wonderful persons, who have been encouraged me to continue! I hope they stay on till the end of my nonsensical tale!

Remember to reveiw!


	16. Prince Nicholas

_Hey, look! TWO chapters! Also, nearing fifty reviews! But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. More realistically, who'll be my fortieth reviewer? Might do a little something special for ya!_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 16**_

 _ **Prince Nicholas**_

"But how are we going to do that?" chorused two or three of the company.

"Um….first of all-"Hopper stopped abruptly as he heard a strange, but somewhat familiar, voice coming from the end of the Hall.

"It's us! It really is! I'm Prince Salli-li-li-foo-foo! I mean Nicholas!" The voice paused. "What am I saying?"

Snow-Fur, Hopper, Brown Sugar, Slippers, and the rest went to see what all the fuss was about. When they reached the end of the Hall of Doors, they saw the rest of the guards that had been posted outside, pointing their pistols at three other persons: a rabbit and two squirrels. All were looking very bewildered; there was armor on the floor as well as two swords.

"Hopper!" The uncursed Prince gave a sigh of relief. "Would you mind telling them who I am?"

Hopper understood what had happened quite plainly and was about to do as requested when Brown interrupted: "What if they aren't who we think they are and actually just overheard what you had said?" He whispered suspiciously. "We should ask to see if he knows which one of us is Snow-Fur."

No sooner were the words out of Brown's mouth, did the Prince see Snow-Fur and his mouth opened wide. "Princess Snow-Fur! You're alive! I thought surely you were dead!"

Hopper turned to look at Brown with a look of triumph on his face. "Yes, True Love's Kiss has done it again. Hopper looked at the guards who were looking at Hopper and Brown, then the Prince and his bodyguards, and back again. "It's okay. This is Your Majesty, Prince Sali-eh, I mean Prince Nicholas."

The Prince, feeling vindicated, took on a more authoritative stance and looking somewhat scornfully at the dog guards, said, "You may depart from my presence until further notice."

"Hopper, I would like you to explain what's going on?" asked Prince Nicholas, still confused.

Hopper asked first, "May I ask Your Majesty when you noticed you had been transformed back to yourself?"

"Well, I was just on my way to see Princess Snow-Fur and as I was approaching the entrance, I suddenly felt strange and then noticed my personal guards had changed back into their normal selves. The guards posted at the entrance might have witnessed it had they not been _asleep!_ " The prince said, looking in the direction of the guards with an annoyed look on his face.

"But," Prince Nicholas said turning to Hopper. "How _did_ I turn back?"

Hopper led the Princely rabbit into a more private room and explained Ebony's history and the very probable cause of his curse and that of Princess Snow-Fur as well as 'True Love's Kiss' which broke both curses. When he was done, he took a deep breath and said, "So, you see, Your Highness, we need to leave Babylon to rescue Ebony's prisoners and stop her from causing more harm."

Walking back to the Hall of Doors, Prince Nicholas, looking so much more impressive in his shining, immaculate white fur and elegant whiskers and dazzling blue eyes, he gestured with his paw to the others and said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"We can leave?"

"Of course, go do what you need to do, Hopper!" Nicholas turned to Snow-Fur and kissing her royal paw, "And don't take anything from strange dogs, okay?"

The Princess smiled, "I won't, cross my heart."

"May Cherrypie and I come, too?" asked Rascal. (Cherrypie was rather attached to Rascal)

"Sure," said Hopper warmly. "You and Cherrypie make first-rate guards."

"And Slippers can come, too. After all he is my best friend and he needs a little break from working!" added Snow-Fur.

They immediately set about packing all the things they would need to camp out in the woods for a few days, but it was too late to start then so they didn't leave till the the next day, right after breakfast.

* * *

Don't despair! Even MORE characters will be added!

I think I just didn't want all the other animals in my life to find out about this story and get mad at me for not getting parts. Yeah, that's a good excuse for the insane amount of cast members by the end of the equally insane novel...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and that you reviewed!

love,

an insane person


	17. The Plan

_**Chapter 17**_

 _ **The Plan**_

When they finally started, they began to march, single file: Hopper, Brown, Snow-Fur, Slippers, Rascal and Cherrypie, taking up the rear.

Along the way, they met two cats, a big, fat, black cat named Deuce, and a smaller, orange tabby named Leo. When the cats first saw the procession, Leo wanted to run away because of Rascal and Cherrypie, and Deuce wanted to pounce on Hopper, but then Slippers and Snow-Fur spotted them, and invited them to come and join the party. Eventually, Deuce began to chat with Snow-Fur and Leo cracked jokes with Cherrypie, (after he was convinced that she wasn't going to hurt him.)

As promised, they stopped at noon and had lunch. Half-way through the meal, Deuce turned to Snow-Fur.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

"I don't know, ask Hopper." She advised.

"Ask me what?" Hopper inquired.

"What the plan is."

When Hopper didn't answer right away Deuce raised his eyebrows. "You do have a plan, right?"

"Well, the first thing we need to do is find my cousins, and maybe they can tell us where the king is, but the problem is, I have no idea where they are! Not even a hunch." He added sadly.

Snow-Fur was struck by a sudden thought, _Wait a minute! If Ebony was the puppy that came to the door the second time, that means she knew where the attic was! She knew exactly where to look, as if she lived there! And the dwarves said they had found the cave-house, they didn't make it!_

"Hopper! Do you still have the treasure map?" She asked eagerly.

"Uhh…Yeah! It's in one of the backpacks. Why?" He responded, puzzled.

" I'll tell you in a second! But quick! Get it!" urged Snow-Fur.

Hopper hurried to carry out the Princess's request. He grabbed a backpack and after a few moments cried out triumphantly: "I got it!" He brought it to Snow-Fur.

"Okay," she said as she opened the map. "I have a pretty good idea as to where your cousins are, Hopper, I think their underneath the cave-house."

"Uh….."

"Look!" Snow-Fur pointed to the new ink marks on the map. "Someone has recently been sketching on the map, and these markings seem to show that there is another door in the attic, and that by the treasure there's a trapdoor, of some sort."

"But why do you think it was Spec- I mean, Ebony did it?" asked Hopper.

"I think Ebony lived in the cave-house before you did, after all, she found the attic pretty quick, and she certainly was able to find her way around the house."

"That would explain the furnished house," agreed Hopper.

Deuce looked over the map a couple times, and then said "I can take you there," He proposed. "I've traveled around here a bit."

"Oh, thank you!" Hopper exclaimed looking very much relieved.

Then Deuce said, "But I think we need more to the plan, than this. Am I right?"

Hopper said, "Give me six seconds!" He sat down on a rock and exactly six seconds later, jumped up and shouted, "All right!"

"Well, tell us!"

"When we find the trapdoor-" Hopper paused. "Hold on a second."

He climbed on top of the rock he had been sitting on and shouted, "Hey! I need to tell you all the plan for rescuing my cousins, so please get up (sorry if I'm interrupting your third plate of chicken pot pie behind the bushes, Brown,) and come here!"

When everyone was sitting down at the base of the rock, Hopper began, "Snow-Fur, has a pretty good idea as to where my cousins are, so when Deuce gets us there, someone is going to go in and report back."

At this there was a murmur. No one wanted to go into the witch's den, Leo pointed out.

"We'll decide on that later," assured Hopper. "So, if they are in there we'll free them. Then we'll overcome Ebony and lastly, Snow-Fur and her mysterious suitor can take the throne!"


	18. Friends

_**Sorry, its so short. I've been struggling with homework, so I haven't been able to get on FF very often. If you guys get annoyed with the wait, just shoot me a pm, and I'll upload the next one. Really, my main problem is motivation, or, lack therof. You should what I can do when I have it! I could probably change the world! Okay, getting off topic. Enjoy and reveiw. Or flame, if you feel like it; that's fine too.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 18**_

 _ **Friends**_

"Are you all right, Slippers?" asked Leo, "You're all red."

(It may be added here that every time Hopper talked about the last part of the plan, the princess and her beau blushed).

"Oh, yes! I'm fine…just a little hot. That's all," responded Slippers growing even redder, realizing that Leo had noticed his embarrassment.

"Slippers, you look sick!" said Leo, quite alarmed. "Where's a thermometer?"

"No, Leo!" Slippers whispered, "I'm fine, it's just, I'm not used to this much exercise. I'll be over it by tomorrow."

Leo looked unsure. "Really?'

"No, but-"Slippers gave a little groan, and thought quickly, "I'll tell you later."

"Okay, later then."

Slippers sighed with relief.

A few minutes before they left again, Leo approached Slippers who was in a more private part of the meadow.

"Well?" asked Leo.

Slippers wore a doubtful expression, "You promise not to tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart, and wish to fly, stick a birdie in my eye," Leo chanted."

"Huh?"

"In other words, Slippers, I promise," amended Leo.

"Oh, okay, Well-its me," whispered Slippers, looking down at his his paws.

"What's you?" asked Leo.

"I'm the one who, who…who," he faltered.

"Who?"

"I kissed Snow-Fur," he said in a rush, and was now beet-red.

Leo's eyes grew to the size of apples. "Gosh, really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!"

"Tell anyone what?" asked Deuce who had approached Leo from behind.

Leo with his eyes closed said, "I promised not to tell anyone that Slippers was the one who kissed Snow-Fur..Oopsy!"

Slippers went white, then red, then white again, then fell on the grass in a faint.

Leo scolded himself, saying, "Darn my big muzzle!"Then they heard Hopper calling, "Deuce, Leo! Time to leave!" he added, "Anyone seen Slippers?"

Deuce spotted a bucket of water and quickly poured it on Slippers, who got up, and started coughing, as some of the water had entered his mouth and throat. Hopper appeared and looked questioningly at the soaked cat.

Out loud, Deuce asked Leo to get some towels and at Hopper's inquiry, explained that Slippers had fallen into the creek for an unexpected bath.

After Slippers dried off, they resumed the hike, Slippers doing his best to avoid Leo. Deuce felt bad for Leo as well as Slippers. He knew his friend had a horrible time keeping secrets and that this secret was really big. So, Deuce resolved to fix the problem.

Deuce came up to Slippers and said in a low voice, "Slippers. I am sorry that Leo has such a loose tongue, but he feels really bad, you know?"

"Being sorry won't fix the fact that he told you, will it?" retorted Slippers.

"Leo can be a very good friend, once you get to know him, but secrets are his one weakness. Plus, it was kind of a big secret; that would be hard for anyone to keep, and he has never had to keep a secret from me. I don't think you should be too hard on him."

"I guess so, but I've never really confided any secrets to anyone; I did not know who I could trust," Slippers sighed. "Alright, I'll give Leo another chance."

Deuce grinned and replied, "You won't regret it."

Deuce went over to Leo and told him that Slippers wished to talk with him, and after a little talk, they were soon best of friends.


End file.
